American Champion Aircraft 7GCBC accident near Greenfield, California, July 20, 2006
On July 20, 2006 at about 11:35 pm local time, a American Champion Aircraft 7GCBC, registered N53SE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenfield, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2006 · about 11:35 pm local time
- Place
- Greenfield, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion Aircraft 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N53SE · registry record · serial 1387-2005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The tail wheel equipped airplane ground looped and nosed over when it encountered a gust of wind during the landing roll on unimproved terrain. The pilot conducted a touch-and-go on a ridgeline and said that after experiencing no problems he became "over confident" and elected to conduct a full stop landing. During the landing roll, when the airplane was below 5 miles per hour, a gust of wind lifted the left wing. The pilot applied power and attempted to correct for the gust of wind, but lacked the control authority due to the reduced speed. The right wing tip contacted the ground and the airplane rotated to the right. The airplane nosed down exposing the bottom of the fuselage to the wind, which blew the airplane over onto its topside. The pilot reported the wind at 20 knots with gusts.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 27,580 hours in all; 340 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 27,340 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 63.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 63.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Superior O-360-A3A2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3CA7 Greenfield CA at 11:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.